1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to semiconductor manufacturing and more particularly to an automated control process to perform implantation setup.
2. Description of the Related Art
The manufacturing of semiconductor devices often involves the processing of a semiconductor substrate through a series of fabrication processes. One such process is an ion implantation process that implants dopant ions into the semiconductor substrate using an ion implanter.
To allow proper ion implantation, sources of contamination, such as personnel, equipment, and chemicals, need to be kept away from the semiconductor articles. For example, skin flakes shed by personnel can easily ionize semiconductor substrates, causing defects in the semiconductor devices. In addition, semiconductor processing equipment itself generate defect causing particles. Although clean room garments reduce particle emissions, clean room garments do not completely eliminate contamination.
To minimize contamination defects, wafers typically are isolated from contaminant generating agents. One scheme used to isolate wafers from contaminant generating agents is the standardized mechanical interface (SMIF) system. Conventionally, SMIF systems have been used to reduce semiconductor article contamination as the wafers are transported from one station to another in a manufacturing line. SMIF is based on the concept that if a component is held in an environment of its own, that itself is free of contaminants, then that environment is the cleanest environment that is attainable. Hence, SMIF systems often utilize PODs, which hold cassettes of wafers, built with this principle in mind. For example, air in a POD can be held in a xe2x80x9cclass 10xe2x80x9d environment, meaning that the environment has a maximum of 10 particles per cubic foot, or 350 particles per cubic meter.
The high level of automation used in fabricating semiconductor devices relies on sophisticated handling and transport equipment for moving semiconductor wafers between various processing stations. Most handling and transport operations are conducted under automatic control using a programmable logic controller, or other programmed computer, which issues control signals for operating the equipment with little or no intervention by an operator. Nevertheless, there are certain situations where operator intervention becomes necessary, consequently the automated wafer handling equipment mentioned above normally includes a series of manual controls that permit the operator to separately control each stage of movement of the wafers. For example, during the ion implant process most process steps are performed by human operators, such as cassette loading, recipe selection, and Bin adjusting. Moreover, these operations generally are performed consecutively. For example, the cassettes are loaded, and thereafter, the process recipe is selected.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an auto-control implantation setup process. The process should be automated to reduce human error, and should further allow simultaneous process operations to reduce process time.
Broadly speaking, the present invention fills these needs by providing a process parameter auto pre-setup system for an implanter tool. In one embodiment, an implanter tool process parameter setup system is disclosed. The implanter tool process parameter setup system includes a first sensor capable of obtaining a first lot identifier (ID) from a first POD, and a controller that is in communication with an implanter tool. The controller is capable of adjusting parameters of the implanter tool based on a process recipe. Further included in the system is a database that stores a plurality of lot IDs and a plurality of process recipes, wherein each lot ID corresponds to a particular process recipe. A computer is in communication with the first sensor, the controller, and the database, wherein the computer is capable of obtaining a process recipe corresponding to the first lot ID from the database, and wherein the computer is further capable of providing the process recipe to the controller.
A method for implanter tool process parameter setup is disclosed in a further embodiment of the present invention. A first lot ID is obtained from a first POD, and a lookup operation is performed using a database to obtain a first process recipe corresponding to the first lot ID. In addition, the first process recipe is verified using a recipe management system that stores a plurality of process recipes. The first process recipe is provided to a controller, which is in communication with an implanter tool. The controller then adjusts parameters of the implanter tool based on the first process recipe.
Advantageously, embodiments of the present invention allow auto-control of process setup. Further, the embodiments of the present invention are capable of loading PODs and adjusting Bin settings simultaneously. As a result, process times can be reduced by over ninety seconds when utilizing the embodiments of the present invention. Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.